Corn-cutter.



6 O 9 1 L 1 G B D D E T N E T A P H. WILLITS. CORN CUTTER. 'APPLIO IO'N FILED "SEPT. 23, 1904.

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PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

H. WILLITS.

CORN CUTTER.

APPLIOATION rmm SEPT. 23. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

CORN-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

A umion fil d September 23,1904. Serial No. 225,707.

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY WrLLrrs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Boston, in the county of Mercer and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Corn-Cutter, of whichthe following is a full. clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to a corn-cutter such as is used for cutting ears of corn into short sections.

The object of the invention is to produce a machine of this class which is simple in construction, efficient in operation, and durable.

The invention concerns itself especially with the mechanism for operating the knife and agitating the hopper, as well as other mechanism for gaging the length of the sections into which the ears are cut.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and definitely set forth in the claims.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the machine and showing a portion of an elevator. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, this view being upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through a buffer used in connection with the gages. Fig. 4 is a perspective view representing the knife or cutter and a portion of the knife-bar to which the same is attached. Fig. 5 is a plan of an eccentric wheel of the machine, showing also a shuttle actuated thereby; and Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a portion of the mechanism for agitating the hopper, showing also a portion of the frame to which this mechanism is attached.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the frame of the machine, which comprises base-sills 2, a pair of oppositelydisposed uprights or verticals 3, and a pair of oppositely-disposed inclined stringers 4. These stringers 1 unite with the uprights 3 by means of brackets or knees 5. Upon the upper faces of the stringers 4 a pair of oppositely-disposed bearings 6 are provided on which a main shaft 7 is rotatably mounted. Near the central portion this shaft carries rigidly an eccentric or an eccentrically-mounted wheel 8. There is also rigidly carried upon the shaft 7 a suitable belt-pulley 9,

which affords means for driving the same, as will be readily understood. The eccentric 8 is surrounded by a shuttle 10, which is preferably constructed of sections, as shown, bolted together in such a manner as to form elongated side openings 11, through which the said shaft 7 extends. Adjacent to the eccentric wheel 8 enlarged hubs 12 are provided, which lie in the space between the side members of the shuttle, as indicated, and the outer faces of these hubs rest against the inner faces of the shuttle and constitute a guide for the same in a manner which will appear more fully hereinafter. From this arrangement the eccentric wheel 8 is held with its faces removed from the inner faces of the shuttle, and this operates beneficially to reduce the wear and tear, at the same time conducing toward an easy movement for the parts.

At the extremities the shuttle 10 carries friction-rollers 18, the faces of which bear against the outer face of the eccentric wheel 8 in such a manner that when the eccentric wheel rotates the shuttle will be reciprocated horizontally. Upon the upper extremities of the uprights a chutelate 14 is mounted, the same being provider with opposite openings 15, above which chutes 16 are attached,

the said chutes having the same diameter and being in alinement with the openings, as shown.

Beneath the chute-plate 14 guide-plates 17 are attached, and these are elongated longitudinally of the implement and are rabbeted as indicated at 18, so as to constitute efficient guiding means for a knife 19. This knife 19 is shown in 'F ig. 1. It consists substantially of a rectangular plate 20, having beveled opposite edges 21, which operate to sever sections of ears of corn which project clownwardly below the chutes. This plate is attached to a knife-bar 22, the rear extremity whereof is rigidly attached to the forward extremity of the shuttle 10 aforesaid by means of a suitable bolt 23. In addition to the guide-plates 17 another guiding means consisting of a bracket 24 may be provided, between the sections of which the knife-bar 22 is longitudinally guided.

As shown, there are preferably two of these chutes 16, and these preferably unite above,

so as to have a common mouth 25, which preferably projects rearwardly, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 1. In this mouth rests the forward extremity of a hopper 26 of any suitable form, such as that shown. Near its rear portion this hopper is supported upon a bow 27, comprising a horizontal extension 28 and side bars 29. The lower extremities of these side bars 29 pass loosely through guiding-sleeves 30, which constitute portions of the aforesaid bearings 6. The extremities thereof project below the sleeve, and these extremities are adapted to rest upon earns 31, which are rigidly attached to the shaft 6. From this arrangement it follows that when the shaft 7 rotates the cams 31 operate to move the bow 27 up and down, and this upand down movement vibrates or agitates the hopper 26 in a desirable manner adapted to advance the ears of corn therein toward the chutes.

It should be understood that in the operation of the machine the ears of corn are expected to fall lengthwise into the chutes. In order to regulate the length of the sections into which they may be cut, gages 32 are provided, against which the ends of the ears may abut. These gages, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 2, comprise vertically-depending bolts 33, the upper portions of which pass through registering recesses 34, formed in the chutelate 15 and the guide-plates 17. Upon the ower portions of these bolts 33 brackets 35 are adjustably attached by means of setscrews 36, and these brackets are formed with extensions 37, having recesses 38 in the upnper faces, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. T ese recesses receive ads 39, of rubber or similar elastic materia said pads being retained in position by caps 40, having flanges 41 on three sides thereof, as indicated. These caps are preferably attached to the extensions 37 by means of suitable bolts or screws 42. These bolts are located just below the chutes 16, so that the caps 40 in connection with the pads 38 operate as buffers against which the ends of the ears of corn may abut. In this connection it should be observed that the bevels 21 of the knife 20 are formed upon the under side thereof. From this arrangement it follows that as the ear is severed the severed section will be forced downwardly by reason of the bevel, as will be readily understood. However, the pads 38 make provision for this downward thrusting of the Severed section, and there is no tendency for the parts to bind as a consequence. In order to enable moisture and dirt to find exit from the recesses 38, openings 43 are provided, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3.

In connection with the mechanism described above an elevator 44 may be used, if

desired. The belt 45 thereof is preferably driven by a chain 46 on the shaft 7, a counter-shaft 47 being employed in this connection, as illustrated.

The operation of the machine will be substantially as follows: The ears of corn will be preferably placed in the hopper 26. The implement being driven by means of the belt-pulley 9, the shaft 7 will rotate and drive the earns 31. This will operate to reciprocate the how 27 in such a manner as to shake the hopper and facilitate the gravitation of the ears into the chutes 16. The eccentric wheel 8, rotating the shaft, operates to reciprocate the shuttle 10, and the shuttle driving the knife-bar 22 o erates to reciprocate the knife 20 below t e openings 15 in the chute-plate. The cars of corn will descend in the chutes and will be supported in position upon the caps 40 of the buffers, and as the knife reciprocates the ears will be cut into a plurality of short sections. The elastic nature of the construction of the buffers operates to prevent any jamming of the knife on account of the bevel of its edges.

The machine described is of very simple construction and should be very effective in operation. Y

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a frame, a feed-hopper supported upon the same, a shaft, a bow supporting said feedhopper, means for guiding said bow in a substantially vertical direction, and cams carried bysaid shaft supporting the said bow.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a frame, a feed-hopper su ported upon the same, a shaft rotatably mounted upon said frame, a bow supporting said hopper and having side bars disposed in a substantially vertical plane, guidesleeves receiving the lower extremities of said side bars, and cams carried by said shaft against which the extremities of said side bars rest.

3. In a machine of the class described, a

buffer to limit the feed movement of the ears face thereof, a pad occupying said recess, and e a cap attaching said extension and overlying said pad.

5. In a machine of the class described, in

combination, a chute-plate having openings In testimony whereof I have signed my therethrough, chutes thereabove, a knife, name to this specification in the presence of 10 meanshfor reciprocating sfaicll1 knife beneath two subscribing Witnesses.

said. 0 utelate, sai mie aving opposite cutting edges beveled on the side remote HARRY L from said chutes, and compressible stops Witnesses:

beyond said knife and limiting the move- F. E. CHAMBERLAIN,

ment of the ears projecting below said chutes. 1 VAN WILLETS. 

